A.J. Green Returns To Full Practice Wednesday

Bengals star wide receiver A.J. Green has been significantly slowed by a toe injury suffered in a Week 2 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

He was forced out of the game early and never came back, but he soon returned in subsequent games to put up some solid numbers, totaling 102 yards against the titans in Week 3 and 81 yards and a touchdown against the Patriots in Week 5.

However, Green re-injured the toe in practice leading up to the Bengals’ Week 6 tie against the Carolina Panthers and hasn’t returned since.

It’s been a rollercoaster of status updates and hopeful diagnoses, but today (Wed., October 29, 2014), the first real positive news for his return has surfaced. According to ESPN Cincinnati reporter Coley Harvey, Green was spotted in full pads at practice today, his first Wednesday practice in a month:

Looks like A.J. Green will be practicing today. He has pads, helmet and jersey on. First Wednesday practice in a month. #Bengals

Its an incredibly positive sign for Green, who told reporters that he was at around 80 percent this week and would play in the Bengals’ Week 9 clash with Jacksonville. He’s set to utilize a specially designed Nike shoe to help him deal with the pain, as he’ll most likely be less than one hundred percent for the rest of the year.

The Bengals offense noticeably sputtered in a Week 7 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, but they got back on track somewhat in a pivotal Week 8 win over AFC North rival Baltimore Ravens.

Judging by one of the players inactive at today’s practice, Cincinnati is going to need Green now more than ever. Harvey reported that second-year starting running back Giovani Bernard sat out of practice today after suffering a hip injury in the fourth quarter last week:

Bernard’s injury was initially thought to not be serious, but this news may suggest otherwise.

If Bernard can’t play, rookie running back Jeremy Hill will take his place as the starter. Although Jacksonville doesn’t exactly present the stiffest challenge this week, the Bengals need Green back to full health as they potentially head into the playoffs.. His status will be updated frequently throughout the week.

Both an avid NFL fan and analyst, I’ve been following professional football since the late 1980s. I’m also an avid fantasy football player with several league victories under my belt. Check out my NFL articles on TSM for the latest NFL news, highlights, predictions, and more.